Community Calendar for April 20, 2013

TROY -- The Troy Springtoberfest Pub Crawl to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association will be held 4-8:30 p.m. today in downtown Troy. Sponsored by the Troy Letter Carriers. The following businesses are participating: The Ale House, 691 River St.; Uncle Sam Lanes, 600 Fulton St.; Ryan's Wake, 403 River St.; Finnbars, 452 Broadway; Bootleggers, 200 Broadway; and The Ruck, 104 Third St. Purchase tickets at any location. Tickets are $20. The day of the event, begin the walk at the location where ticket was bought. Stop in at least five of the venues and have the ticket stamped. Return to the final location by 8:30 p.m. to have the hand dealt. Final location has yet to be determined.

EVENING

LOUDONVILLE -- A Time For Remembering Our Parents, a special evening of prayer for grieving sons and daughters, will be held 7-8:15 p.m. May 17 at St. Pius X Chapel, 23 Crumitie Road. The program is free. For information, call 462-1336.

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MEETINGS

LOUDONVILLE -- The Capital District Genealogical Society will host a computer look up day 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 27 at the William K. Sanford Town Library, 629 Albany-Shaker Road. Volunteer members will help one on one with family history. Admission is free.

COLONIE -- The Colonie Town Board meets at 7 p.m. April 25 in the meeting rooms of the Memorial Town Hall, 534 Loudon Road, Newtonville.

TROY -- The Lansingburgh Historical Society meets at 7:30 p.m. April 30 at the Melville House, 2 114th St. Lois Tucker of Berwick, Maine, will give a slide presentation on the subject of American painted tinware, featuring tinware made by the Filley family in Lansingburgh for 50 years in the mid-19th century at 499 Second Ave. For information, call 235-4041.

TASTING

COHOES -- Ken Cereola, Director of Operations, from Palmer Vineyards located in Aquebogue on the North Fork of Long Island will present a special tasting 5-7 p.m. April 26 at the Harmony House Marketplace, 184-190 Remsen St. For information, call 238-2232.

RALLY

EAST GREENBUSH -- The Families and Friends of Liza Ellen Warner and Nikki Hart are sponsoring a "Take Back the Night" rally and walk at 6 p.m. April 25. The gathering will take place at Onderdonk Park in Hampton Manor. After the introductory remarks the walk will encircle Hampton Manor Lake. This event coincides with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April 21-27th, 2013. Warner and Hart, both from East Greenbush, were murder victims of domestic violence. The public is invited to gather. As parking is limited in the vicinity of Onderonk Park a shuttle will be available for those who park at the Kmart Parking Lot and St. Mary's Church on Columbia Turnpike.

GARDENING PROGRAM

TROY -- The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County annual 4-H Container Gardening Program will be held at 3:30 p.m. May 8. CCE will be coordinating a training and distribution of plant materials with the support of Becker's Farm of East Greenbush. Tomato plants will be available for all elementary and special education teachers within Rensselaer County, K through 4th grade. Training and plant distribution will take place at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office, 61 State St. For applications to register and more information contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension office at 272-4210. Registration deadline to participate is April 29. There will be no charge for classrooms to participate.

DIABETES EXPO

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The Adult & Senior Center of Saratoga is hosting a Diabetes Expo 1:30-3:30 p.m. April 26. Sufferers of Type 2 diabetes can learn how to improve their lives while living with this disease. This two-part educational event begins at 1:30 p.m. with a diabetic-friendly luncheon prepared by diabetic Chef Larry. The cost of lunch is $2. Following lunch, the chef will be available to discuss food preparation tips and meal planning. Seating is limited and reservations are required for the lunch portion of the event only. At 2:30 p.m. representatives from various organizations who focus on diabetes will be on hand. This portion of the event is free and does not require reservations. The expo will be held at the center, 5 Williams St. Call 584-1621 for lunch reservations.

FUNDRAISER

TROY -- Mary Johnson, Emily Maresca and Kristen Perrella, Russell Sage College students from Troy, have been awarded a Sodexo Foundation Youth Grant. The grant will support Hope 7 Food Pantry in leading a community service project that addresses the issue of childhood hunger. Service activities will take place on Global Youth Service Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. April 27 at the Buchman Pavilion on the Russell Sage College campus. It is an international service event celebrating the contributions of children and youth.

FILM

ALBANY -- The Solidarity Committee of the Capital Region will show "Earth Days" at 7:30 p.m. April 27 in Channing Hall, 405 Washington Ave. Admission is free.

COOK OFF

ALBANY -- New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Albany is hosting a Staff vs. Chefs Chili Cook-off to benefit the Greater Capital Region Autism Society noon-2 p.m. April 25 at New Horizons of Albany, 10 Airline Drive. A minimum of $2 donation is requested as admission and New Horizons will match each donation. All proceeds will go directly to the Greater Capital Region Autism Society. Participating restaurants include The Hungry Fish Café, Shaker Shed Farm, The End Zone Sports Pub, Faldoni's, and Mazzone Hospitality.

CONVENTION

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The Department of New York-Korean War Veterans Association spring convention will be held April 30 through May 3 at Longfellow'500 Union Ave. For those staying at the hotel, reservations may be made by contacting Rebekah Foster at Longfellow's. Those attending may register noon-6 p.m. May 1. The hospitality room will open at 3 p.m. The general meeting will be held 9 a.m.-noon the following day. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. at the Gerald Solomon National Cemetery. Cocktail hour will be held from 6-7 p.m. followed by dinner. Those not lodging at the hotel may make reservations for dinner with Foster to indicate their menu choice. Checks should be made out to KWVA Dept. of NY. For more information contact Adirondack Commander, William Shaw at 584-2638.

HOUSING FAIR

ALBANY -- Prospective buyers and homeowners are invited to attend the Capital Region Housing Fair 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 27 at the Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave. Learn how to buy a home, fix your home, get energy efficient or protect your home from foreclosure. Featured will be dozens of information booths, including non profit housing groups, lenders, attorneys and real estate agencies. Bring a photo ID to obtain a free credit report and a credit consultation. Participants will also have a chance to sign up for a free comprehensive home energy assessment, if they bring their most recent utility bill. For information, call 434-1730.

OPEN HOUSE

PITTSTOWN -- An open house will be held 2-4 p.m. April 27 at the Town of Pittstown Highway Complex, 2500 Route 67, Johnsonville.

SOUNDS OF SPRING

GRAFTON -- Enjoy the sounds of spring 6:30-8 p.m. April 26 at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, 475 Dyken Pond Road. We will be looking and listening for signs of spring. Wood frogs, spring peepers and barred owls are some animals we may hear. We will also look for early plants in bloom on a leisurely one mile walk. This event is free, open to the public with no pre-registration required. For information, call 658-2055.

PRESENTATION

CLIFTON PARK -- The Friends of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library and The Country Garden Club of Clifton Park present An Arbor Day Presentation, "Attractive Trees and Shrubs for Our Area" with Arborist Fred Breglia at 7 p.m. April 30 at the library, 475 Moe Road. This presentation is free, and refreshments will be served. Register by calling 371-8622.

COURSE

TROY -- A free, eight-session course designed to provide basic skills for those interested in entry-level laboratory work will be offered at Hudson Valley Community College. The course will run from 7-10 p.m. for four weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in May and will cover laboratory safety, equipment, solution preparation and standard operating procedures used in fields like biotechnology, biomanufacturing, food science, forensics and health care. Those who successfully complete the course will be offered job search assistance. The college will also offer a complementary free course in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) designed for those working in a variety of manufacturing industries. A Biotechnology Career Night to learn more about the program and careers in biotechnology will be at 7 p.m. April 30 in the college's Bulmer Telecommunications Center. College faculty members will review the biotechnology industry and representatives from biotechnology labs in the area will be on hand to discuss careers. For more information about the course or to register for the Biotechnology Career Night, go to www.hvcc.edu/biotech-training or call Nancy Bush in the college's Biotechnology office at 629-7681.

BREAKFAST

EAST GREENBUSH -- The East Greenbush Fire Company will serve a pancake breakfast 9 a.m.-noon April 28 at the Phillips Road Station, 68 Phillips Road. The menu includes pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, juice and more.

DRIVER EDUCATION

RENSSELAER -- A defensive driving class will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. April 27 at the Boys' & Girls' Club of Southern Rensselaer County, 544 Broadway. The fee is $39. Registration is required and can be made by calling 465-3403 or 286-3788.